MPR News with Angela Davis

Why new age spirituality is more popular than ever

A person leans over tarot cards on the floor.
More Americans are turning to things like astrology, tarot cards and crystals to make sense of the world.
Photo by Lucas Pezeta via Pexels

As we try to make sense of the damage and loss this year, you may notice more people turning to new age spirituality. Things like astrology, tarot cards, crystals, and manifestation have boomed in popularity during the last few years. A 2018 Pew Research study shows that 6 in 10 Americans hold some sort of new age belief, including things like psychics and astrology.

Likewise, manifestation, the practice of thinking positive thoughts in order to make them real, is finding a new life during these troubling times. As reported in Vox, Google searches for “manifestation” increased 669 percent from March to July of 2020. And a report by the New York Times shows that astrologers are seeing an increase in horoscope consultations this year.

Why are more people turning to spirituality? Is it harmless self-soothing or an attempt to escape a less-than-ideal reality?

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